Superstar Beyonce has agreed to headline Nigeria's first annual Thisday Music Festival.
The inaugural festival is a celebration of the West African nation's independence from the British in 1960. The two-day event will take place in Lagos on October 7. And Beyonce isn't the only high-profile US star to play the show. Hip-hop and R&B royalty will fill out the bill, which includes Jay-Z, Ciara, En Vogue, Snoop Dogg, Mary J Blige, Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes.In a press release, Beyonce said "It's a great thrill to come to West Africa for the first time to celebrate Nigeria's independence. I feel blessed for this opportunity for my all-female band and me to appear on stage with some of the world's most talented artists and share the universal message of peace, hope and beauty that music brings to all of us."
The name of the festival comes from Thisday, one of the largest African-owned media groups on the continent, who publish newspapers, magazines and online.
